Sometimes to get a more clear picture of the criminal, one must see him or her as a human being, see him or her as they truly are, feel what they feel, know what they know, feel the wants, needs and desires of that person. On night of January 16 th, 1984 a gruesome discovery was made at a house on 16300 East Center Drive, Aurora, Colorado. Between 9 p.m. January 15, 1984 and 10 a.m. January 16, 1984, twenty-seven year old Bruce Bennett, his twenty-six year old wife, Debra and their seven year old daughter Melissa, were brutally murdered inside their home located in the 16300 Block of East Center Drive. 2019 Sentinel Colorado. But new technology is getting detectives closer and closer to solving the brutal mystery. "There is no punishment that is too harsh for you and I will do everything in my power to make sure you never draw a free breath ever again.". Ewing was convicted of killing 27-year-old Bruce and 26 year-old Debra Bennett, as well as their 7-year-old daughter Melissa, in Aurora. This killer is indiscriminate in terms of who he kills, attacks or rapes. DENVER- The Bennett family murders is a case that goes back more than three decades. Before exiting the vehicle, she turned to grab her flight attendant uniform, which was hanging in the back. The other victim murdered in the terrifying crime spree. Only 3-year-old Vanessa, at. . The husband then got a lock for the gate and made sure their house was locked and secure. He thought about murder for a long time, he daydreamed about it and more than likely attempted several times prior to these specific attacks to commit murder but for whatever reason didnt go through with it or was unable to because his victim fought him off, fear of being seen or heard etc. You got the age closer than the fbi and police you described exactly what the guy was feeling when he was killing them. Chris Harris has been a senior true crime reporter for PEOPLE since late 2015. She was naked, curled up in a fetal position and groaning. Investigators said he also sexually assaulted Melissa before she died from being beaten. Damien Bendall, 31, is now alleged to have raped and murdered Lacey Bennett . Date: April 9th/10th, 1988 After multiple surgeries,Vanessa was saved, though she went on the live with permanent physiological affects from the assault. There wasnt anything notable stolen from the scene, and the attack had all the hallmarks of a random crime. As she turned to leave the car, she felt a tremendous blow on the left side of her head. Determine the level of organization/disorganization of each crime scene. But what about his second? There is no punishment that is too harsh for you and I will do everything in my power to make sure you never draw a free breath ever again.. According to property records, the couple stayed in the same house after the attack. The previous week, on the 10th of January,awoman in her fifties named Patricia Smith had also been murdered in her own home in a townhouse in Green Mountain, Lakewood, which is just a 25 minute drive from the Bennetts home in Aurora. Only the youngest daughter survived, with life-threatening injuries. For years the authorities and true crime sleuths never gave up trying to identify the sick individual responsible for the murders and assaults that happened that year. The Bennett family was your average middle class family living the American dream. He also shattered the face of Bruce Bennetts 3-year-old daughter, Vanessa. He further explained the nature of the coordinated and combined effort that contributed to the identification of this suspect, and the initial ease at which the system has thus far moved. Part of our book involves some very in-depth detective and forensic work. DeAngelo was a police officer in nearby Exeter at the time, and has been confirmed by police to be tied to a string of over 100 burglaries, a murder, and an attempted murder that occurred in Visalia in 1974 and 1975. & As blood poured out of her body, he lifted her up from the bed, unknowingly leaving an imprint from his shirt on her blood-soaked pajamas. Theyd been strangled, their throats had been slashed, and rope marks were found on their necks and wrists. Some of the ligatures matched across scenes. It could be the store they all shopped in, the road that they all traveled daily to and from work, school, library they attended etc. Ax Handle Attacker Alex Ewing Named Suspect in Bennett Family Murders. I would not limit the list to any type of profession or lack of any type of profession until suspects can be eliminated. He finds his release from the level of pain he inflicts on the victim, the level of violence he is able to achieve. By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. <p>Bruce Bennett, 27, was fatally stabbed and bludgeoned. He stayed on the prosecution team with Storgaard and Senior Deputy District Attorney Megan Brewer. 28 year old Bruce Bennett had jumped into action when the attacker entered the family home and a struggle broke out between the two as Bennett attempted to protect his family. He also discarded the knife hed used to kill Bruce. is finished: Fri, 09/08/23 09:00 PM EDT. The Vampire Diaries Wiki Explore Main Page Discuss ", She added: "I lost my sanity. Headquartered in McDonough, Georgia, Bennett Family of Companies provides innovative logistics and transportation for companies across America. Alexander was not identified as a suspect until a DNA hit in July 2018 linked him to semen left at the crime scene. For over thirty years, this killer has remained unidentified. They lived on the other side of the Denver metro area, but their home and Smiths home were both near a main east-west road, Alameda Avenue, leading investigators to suspect the killer used that route. Never profile someone using the box as your guide. The couple's 3-year-old daughter Vanessa was also beaten but survived with permanent injuries. This call is important because not only did it occur during an EAR quiet period, but this attack is connected by DNA. As a workaround, a well-known forensic genealogist named Colleen Fitzpatrick analyzed the case, and her research came up with the possible surname of Ewing. This finding was announced an the television show, On the Case With Paula Zahn, in February 2018. I would re-profile the killer, re-examine the details of each victims daily life, re-examine the suspect pool, re-examine the crime scenes without any emotion whatsoever. Dont you feel cheated a little? All four family members were assaulted, only one survived. Required fields are marked *. The other kids at school would tease her, telling her the hammer man was going to come and finish her off. Then in 2010, cold case investigators, who long theorized that the person who killed Patricia Smith in Lakewood was the same person who had committed the crimes in Aurora, compared the DNA from the Patricia Smith murder to the DNA found at the Bennett household. The crime spree known as the Colorado Hammer murders seemed to begin in Aurora in the early morning hours of January 4th, 1984. Additionally, an audio expert associated with an upcoming television show that were a part of was able to isolate the background sounds of the Gonna Kill You phone call, and there was a tiny bit of a surprise in there. Ewing has been behind bars in Nevada since the summer of 1984 after he escaped there while being transported to Kingman, Arizona, from St. George, Utah, for a court appearance on attempted murder and burglary charges. The cases are commonly known as the 1984 Colorado Hammer Murders. Its quite possible that he changed his method of killing in an effort to keep police from tying him to these murders on the off chance he was caught for lets say rape. That is what drove him into such an uncontrollable frenzy so fast and that is precisely what stopped the attacks so fast. As one of the investigations were doing for the book,we hired an audio expert to do some work on the three recordings attributed to EAR: The dumb fuckers call, the Is Ray there? call, and the Gonna Kill You call. The police found her posed with her arms crossed over her chest, as if she was in a coffin. On the night of Jan. 15, a stranger broke into their home and viciously assaulted and attacked the family. Not only was she left with physical injuries and scars as a reminder of the attack, she was also left with ADHD, PTSD and bipolar disorder. There are some instances where a strange phone call was received, but its not thought to be the offender. "The Crown prosecutor who is prosecuting my case in September seems like a dog with a . Thieves like to hit them for the tools the guys leave at the sites overnight. District Attorney John Kellner said the murders had shocked the community, adding that he was glad to see justice for the victims after 37 long years. The life sentences will be served consecutively. During the winter in Colorado its difficult to find a construction crew working well into the night. Darkness had just fallen. His use of ligatures were fairly distinct and helped tie a lot of the crimes together. Now She's Speaking Out, Mass. He went into the process of requesting extradition of the suspect, with the request soon going to the governors office and the process taking up to a couple of months. Amazingly, it was thought that spending so many hours naked on the garage floor in the freezing temperatures may have kept her from bleeding to death. The police found footprints in the snow that led up to and away from other homes in the same area and on the same street, leading them to believe that the offender was simply looking for an easy opportunity to lash out. The very famous, more than three decades old case of Bennet family murders has recently been in the news. For an overview of the case, you can review my extensive post from yesterday which covered many of the details. Order your tickets today to see Small Town Murder in Atlanta, GA. She left her hometown and moved to Arizona, at one point spending half a year homeless, living under a bridge. A murder probe has opened after four people were found dead at the address yesterday, with . Evidence of wounds caused by a blade revealed that Bruce attempted to defend himself as the intruder swiped and slashed at him with a knife. In Aug 2018, Alexander Christopher Ewing was accused and charged in both cases. Ewing is arrested and incarcerated. Donna underwent several operations. Ewing massacred a family but left a key to his identity, Chief Deputy District Attorney Garrik Storgaard told the jury. Connie's son Bruce, his wife Debra and 7-year-old Melissa were found dead.. Ewing, then 23, was arrested again two days later about 15 miles (24 kilometers) away by park rangers at Lake Mead. As she got older, unresolved anger issues caused Vanessa to clash with her grandmother who had become her primary caretaker after the death of her parents. Ramirez heads to Sierra Madre, CA, where he attacks Whitney Bennett, 16, with a tire iron as she sleeps. The garage door was still open. Ewing would not stop hitting her the entire time and eventually the woman realized that she would have to play dead in order to get him to stop. A 61-year-old man learned this week he'll die behind prison bars after being sentenced to three consecutive life sentences for the 1984 murders of a Colorado couple and their 7-year-old daughter, PEOPLE confirms. If you are just simply looking at it, you miss the most critical and important clues. July 23, 1993. Victim #7received a phone call, and she recognized the voice on the other end as the voice of the rapist. Even to this day, she has absolutely no recollection of the next several hours. March 14, 2022 5:04pm Updated The Murdaugh family property where a mother and son were found dead lists for $3.9 million. The case got a jolt in 2009 when a retired FBI photographer used graphic images from the crime scenes during a class lecture. Victim #14received a phone call from a man who whispered Remember when we played? She positively identified the man as the voice of the East Area Rapist. The prints taken from the Bennett crime scene were fuzzy and not usable, the concrete floor they took that had a footprint would be unusable at this point. Since they could find no signs of forced entry, police felt that the killer entered through the unlocked door and attacked her. I have seen all kinds of evil and wickedness nothing compares to the level of depravity that your actions show in this case, Vahle told Ewing. He took Debras purse and went out the front door, then dumped the contents out onto the snow. The colossal 1,772-acre South Carolina hunting farm where Maggie and Paul. There was the sound of children and maybe a woman in the background, which couldve potentially come from a television or some other source. Sometime between 1990 and 1992 Family photo Police say DNA evidence links Alex Ewing to the 1984 murders of three members of Bruce and Debra Bennett and their 7-year-old daughter Melissa, left. They saw her parents killer as a boogeyman who would attack and them and kill them if they went anywhere near little Vanessas home for parties or play dates. Constance entered the home, encountered the grisly scene, and immediately dialed the authorities. This article in the Denver post describes how after he murdered the Bennetts he went on to enter the house of a man in Kingman, Arizona and attempted to bludgeon the man to death with a 20lb rock. Investigators had collected and stored the killers DNA from the crime scene back in 1984 and since they did not know the hammer killers identity at the time issued a warrant for the arrest of John Doe on three counts of murder, attempted murder, felony murder, two counts of sexual assault, and two counts of child sexual assault in the hope that technology in the future could aid in identifying the assailant. I only do research and leave active investigation of these cases to professionals. SOMERVILLE Sandra G. Bennett, 76, died March 2, 2023. The large hammer was recovered, still on the seat of the car where the attacker had left it. Why did they have to get murdered? The McStay family murders occurred on or near February 4, 2010, after the family disappeared from their home in Fallbrook, California, United States; their bodies were found in the desert near Victorville, California, on November 13, 2013. April 6th, 2001 He noticed a gaping wound on the left side of her skull. He may have been in the system at some point but it is difficult to determinewhether it would have been on felony charges or misdemeanor because his crimes may have stopped altogether. He tore her clothes off, tossed them about the garage, and then he raped her on the concrete floor. Prosecutors said they will ask Gov. I also believe he continued to kill peeps because he is so violent he couldnt have just stopped. The family overall lead a very quiet and peaceful life. Would you like to contribute as an editor or a writer on our site? I hurt myself. Alexander Christopher Ewing is already behind bars, serving 40 years for two counts of attempted murder in the state of Nevada. A hammer lay next to her. Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. Tamara Lich's trial on multiple charges related to the Freedom Convoy protests is set to start in the fall. Let us know all the details about yourself and send us a message. A childhood photo of Vanessa Bennett, who survived the hammer attack, and Alex Ewing as seen in a mid-1980s booking photo . The same night he escaped, he broke into yet another couples house and attacked the male of the home. Just your average everyday normal family. Juliana Kenney, 75, her husband Clayton Kenney, 83, and Mrs. Kenney's 44- year-old daughter, Adrienne Arnot, were beaten and stabbed to . A hammer was used to kill Patricia Louise Smith, 50, in Lakewood Jan. 10, 1984. Its our hope that something can come from this new push that will finally solve it. Bruce had been attacked with a knife and hit in the head several times with a hammer or blunt object. It was a match, proving that the same unknown offender had killed all four victims. Alexander Christopher Ewing, who is serving a prison sentence in Nevada for beating a couple there with an axe handle, has been charged with killing Bruce and Debra Bennett and their 7-year-old daughter, as well as trying to kill their 3-year-old daughter, as well as a charge for sexual assault. He also isnt killing with this level of violence often enough to track. Bruce Bennett tried to climb the staircase several times in an attempt to ward off the perpetrator and save his young family. The mandatory minimum sentence for each count is life with possibility of parole after 20 years, according to the prosecution. It, and the floor around it, was soaked in blood. The Investigation kept ongoing. This was the last time the Bennetts were seen alive. The couples youngest daughter, 3 year old Vanessa, was also attacked by the hammer wielding assailant. Taking a good long hard look at the evidence again and compare it to someone who was in and/or around that artery in Denver at the time would help to narrow the suspect list or in this case open it up. Bruce was 27 years old and Debra was 26 in 1984. This killers only motive was to kill. Sometimes it works, sometimes its sort of right, sometimes not even close. The childs skull was caved in on the right side of her forehead and a metal plate was inserted to reshape the skull, she suffered severe injuries to her head, jaw and neck. Your email address will not be published. The investigators and the CBI were safe to guess that it might have been a construction worker that had been working in the area. It was later determined to be the murder weapon. ': Ohio Man Sentenced for Murdering Family of 8, Accused Stockton Serial Killer Charged with 4 More Murders, Bringing Total to 7, She Saw Her Family Murdered by a Hammer-Wielding Stranger When She Was 3. He was immediately alarmed at the scene in the garage her clothes, purse, and even some of the mail was by her car. On Friday, August 10th, 2018 at 10:00 AM Mountain Time, a press conference was held to announce that two different jurisdictions in Colorado were filing charges against a man named Alex Christopher Ewing for the Patricia Smith and Bennett family homicides. Before Donna Dixon was even found, another crime had taken place 26 miles to the west in the city of Lakewood. Ive provided a complete listing of known phone calls where the East Area Rapist / Golden State Killer actually spoke at this link:https://www.coldcase-earons.com/phonecalls.php. When a telephone call came for Steve Bennett on the afternoon of July 4, 1985, his daughter, Whitney, opened her bedroom window to summon her father, who was outside watering the front yard. He viciously struck the young child in the head with a hammer. HE had to get knife in addition to the hammer just to ward off Bruce who was trying to protect his family. Both survived. The youngest girl, Vanessa, only three years old until March, was also struck violently in the face with the hammer. Its my hope that this can help folks gain a better understanding of how prolific this offender was, and that insights can be gained as to perhaps why he was active at the times that he was, and why he mightve laid low during some of the quieter times. Family medicine doctors are primary-care physicians trained. They do value daylight hours and work them whenever they can during the winter months. does anyone think they are actually looking though? Residents here have lived under a dark cloud since Monday, when police found three residents dead in their home. At approximately 2:00 AM on January 4th, 1984, an intruder came through an unlocked garage door. Calls Toyota Celica was found at a river overlook several hours after he and Hailey went on their first date. All rights reserved. Her clothes were tossed everywhere. ~The very same day, a man using a hammer attacked flight attendant Donna Dixon in the garage of her Aurora home, leaving her in a coma. All three were beaten to death with a claw hammer. We often times want answers that fit into a box and I am sorry to say in this case we will not get them. CENTENNIAL, Colo. (CBS4) - A judge sentenced Alex Ewing to three life sentences on Tuesday after he was found guilty in the 1984 murders of three people in Aurora. The severity of her injuries cant be understated. He knew he was going to kill the family, Father, Mother and Children, so he clearly wasnt afraid to go after a man and thought he would be able to easily kill a man. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. / CBS Colorado. You see it in the last known crime that the killer committed. The FAIR School, Minneapolis Public Schools and West Metro Education Program. The jury found Ewing guilty on Aug. 6 of killing three members of the Bennett family with a hammer. Please keep them and their families in your thoughts tonight. Furthermore, the loving grandmother had been sexually assaulted. The Bennett family murders is a case that goes back more than three decades. The 1982 call is important, because the offender hadnt killed for over a year, and it was thought that he mightve been incarcerated. Investigators noted there was evidence of a struggle at the house. He tossed it onto the seat of the car and began pulling her from the vehicle. "I lost the person who I was supposed to be. See them as the killer did, see the victims as the killer did at that moment. This is a very unique activity, and it helps tie the EARONS crimes together based on M.O. At the press conference, they informed the public that when authorities in Nevada went back and retroactively began swabbing and entering their inmates DNA into CODIS, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation got a hit and thats whats led to the development in this case. Lauer and Phelps disappeared on Labor Day weekend while on their way to Virginia Beach. I agree with you. Camper explained that the CBI does a nightly check of all of their profiles against the CODIS system, and at that point, in early July, there was a match. Man Gets Life in Prison for 2016 Killing of Google Employee Vanessa Marcotte, Lone Survivor of 1984 Colorado Hammer Killer Attack Misses the Family He Stole: 'Inside I Cry Every Day', Man Sentenced for 1982 Ax Murder of His Wife After the Case Went Unsolved for Nearly 40 Years, Colo. Woman Applied for Restraining Order Against Ex Days Before He Allegedly Killed Her Family Members, JonBent Ramsey's Father Is Optimistic DNA Advances Will Catch Daughter's Killer, Slams Boulder Police, Man Who Shot Lady Gaga's Dog Walker During Dognapping Sentenced to 21 Years: 'I Do Forgive You', N.C. Man Killed Girlfriend's Daughter, 3, with Chloroform in Attempt to Get Her to Sleep. I also believe this is the killers first stint at killing humans he most likely as with most serial killers did in fact kill animals earlier in life. The couple, especially Ron, wanted to show that their love was truly for better or for worse and that it would survive any challenge. In 2002, Arapahoe County filed a John Doe arrest warrant for the perpetrator of the Bennet murders based on the DNA profile. If the list does exist its worth a look at as well as look at reports of crimes at the local job sites involving missing tools. Vanessa, after a wait of 3 decades received a call from the Aurora sheriffs department informing her that her parents killer had been identified as 57-year-old Alexander Christopher Ewing. Bruce and the intruder fought up and down the stairwell, and at some point Bruce was struck multiple times by a hammer. Im your biggest fan. Its unfortunate le didnt get him back then. I didnt just lose my parents and my sister, she said. They lived on the other side of the Denver metro area, but their home and Smith's home were both near a main east-west road, Alameda Avenue, leading investigators to suspect the killer used that route. This call occurred over a month after her attack. She survived. Being able to track the victim down (the call occurred at her workplace) meant that most likely, he was a free man and had stopped killing of his own volition. About six weeks later, hunters came upon their bodies in a remote location in the woods near a logging road. "This case impacted not just the victims, but it also terrorized an entire community," Kellner said in a statement. She was last seen at about 8:30 PM while on her way to meet friends. Shippers choose our flatbed, step deck, RGN or other specialized trailers to move freight that is too large to be Nothing else appeared to be missing. Ewing has been locked up since. The suspect list shrinks or worse, the profile was so off an accurate suspect list from the get go is of no help and never will be. She was also left with a shattered pelvis and fell into a coma. It was a blitz attack for no reason, said Marvin Brandt, who investigated the case as a homicide detective between 1984 and when he retired from the Aurora Police Department in 2002. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. On the 4th of January James and Kimberly Haubenschild were also attacked with a hammer at their home in Aurora, but both survived. The investigators looked at everything from construction workers to drug addicts in the areas around the attacks because at the time a lot of construction was happening, they looked at the fact that the attacks happened around the holidays so maybe that was a trigger for this killer, even looked at the possibility that the killer was in some sort of drug fueled rage. The scene in the home traumatized the daughter and grandchildren for life. Constance, her grandmother, immediately set up a vigil (which she kept up for days) as the paramedics, nurses and doctors worked feverishly to save the girls life. Long Prairie, Minn. Long Prairie is a town of about 3,000 people in central Minnesota's Todd County. The Deadly Night of Incident For Bennet Family On the night of January 16 th, 1984 a gruesome discovery was made at a house on 16300 East Center Drive, Aurora.

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